


Worth Fighting For

by Lockea



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Timeline What Timeline, Ultima-verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6037501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockea/pseuds/Lockea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The bond’s not some magic thing that can erase all problems. It’s just a little nudge, a reminder that working through your problems is worth it, because this is the person your heart sings for.” </p><p>Meeting his soul mate was on Cloud’s list of life goals, along with making it into SOLDIER and proving to his home town that he’s not worthless just because he was born an omega. But when his soul mate turns out to be none other than General Sephiroth, ShinRa’s Silver Demon, and he fails the SOLDIER exam, his life goals get just that much harder to achieve. Thankfully, some well-meaning friends have a vested interest in seeing Cloud succeed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ultima](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1241551) by [esama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/esama/pseuds/esama). 



> I started writing this fic about a year and half ago during a bought of mania caused by bad medication. I wrote the first two chapters in one sitting (about 10,000 words). It then just kind of sat there while I waited and waited for more inspiration (or mania) to strike. I'm sharing it because I'd love feedback on what you guys want to see and where you think this fic should go. I'm also working on chapter three right now because I've been reading a lot of ABO fanfiction and I feel sad that there's not really any in the Final Fantasy section.
> 
> This was inspired by esama's Ultima and uses both traditional ABO and Ultima-verse style dynamics. A person has both an Assignation and a Rank. You are born with your Assignation (traditional ABO) which is based on pheromones and biology. Your Rank is determined by the people around you (Ultima-verse) and is how you fit into a group's dynamics. Rank is capitalized (Alpha, Beta, etc) while Assignation is not (alpha, beta, etc). The order is different from esama's order as well because I do things mathematically, as anyone who has paid attention to me knows. It's Alpha, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Omega.

The topic of soul mates comes up during a conversation about Assignation stereotypes. Their usual drinking trio has expanded to four with the addition of Angeal’s student and has thus been moved from Sephiroth’s office to Angeal and Genesis’s admittedly more spacious apartment.

“Genesis is the very definition of an omega stereotype.” Angeal admits laughingly, even as his soul mate shoots him a disgruntled glare. “Between the obsession with dead books, his baking ability, and his eagerness to please I think you could safely put his picture next to omega in the dictionary.”

Genesis just rolls his eyes, even as the red haired SOLDIER First Class rises to grab another two beers out of the fridge, setting one down in front of his soul mate just as Angeal is finishing his. “Thank you, love.” Angeal says, to which he is met with a shrug of indifference, as if despite all the teasing he still doesn’t mind acts of service.

“This from the man who keeps plants in every window of this place.” Genesis says, handing the other beer to Sephiroth, who has likewise finished his last. “Everyone assumes they’re mine – oh what an omega, to keep your place all green and nice for your alpha.” The sarcasm practically drips from his voice. Genesis has always been the acerbic one, quick of wit and quick to put people in their place when they make assumptions about him based on Assignation. It’s one of the first things Sephiroth ever learned about the man, back when the Wutai War wasn’t supposed to take more than a year or two. “I’m more than happy to shatter their fantasies. No, it’s my alpha who waters them every day.”

“You would kill them.” Angeal reminds him.

“Gladly.” Genesis replies, even as he curls up against Angeal like a cat seeking affection. Affection which Angeal freely returns. The two of them are professionals at maintaining decorum in public and on missions, but in the privacy of their own place with just Sephiroth and Zack to witness, they become so sickeningly sweet it’s almost cavity inducing.

Across from Sephiroth, Zack has his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. “That’s soul mates for you.” He says. “Willing to tolerate almost anything for the sake of each other.”

“Isn’t it a hassle though?” Among them, Sephiroth is the only one without a soul mate. It’s not that unusual, since the meeting between two people is random as to be nearly impossible, and with only the vaguest of feelings about where your soul mate might be, seeking them out isn’t feasible. Besides, the whole thing has always struck him as a waste of time. Sephiroth’s soul mate is in Midgar, he knows that for sure, but he honestly wouldn’t mind if the two of them never met. “You’re tied to someone even though they annoy you or make you angry. It sounds tiresome.”

“And we don’t frustrate you as friends sometimes?” Angeal asks. As usual he’s the calm, logical one, the least offended by Sephiroth’s questions, as opposed to Genesis’s prickly bright anger. “The bond’s not some magic thing that can erase all problems. It’s just a little nudge, a reminder that working through your problems is worth it, because this is the person your heart sings for.”

“I can think of a million reasons to not like Angeal.” Genesis adds. “The plants, the way he leaves dirty towels lying on the floor, his lack of appreciation for Loveless –”

“Let’s face it, nobody appreciates Loveless as much as you.” Zack says.

Genesis ignores him. “And I’m sure Angeal can think of a million reasons to not like me, but at the end of the day I can think of no one else I would rather be with. He’s worth the little things.”

“I think it’s the same with Aerith and me.” Zack admits. “Although, I don’t know. She’s perfect. Absolutely in every way everything I could ever want.”

“That’ll wear off. You just met her a month ago.” Angeal says with an amused smile.

 _That_ had been a story for their drinking party. Zack was on a routine monster extermination mission, only this time the monsters had made it onto the plate in Sector Five, when he fell _off_ the plate and through the roof of a church below. It would have killed a normal man, but Zack was saved by his Second Class mako enhancements and a nearby civilian with a heal materia. Said healer was Zack’s soul mate, Aerith.

Angeal continues, “Soon enough you’ll realize she snores in her sleep, she steals all the blankets, or she has terrible table manners. Maybe she has no sense of direction or she attracts trouble like flies to honey. Any one thing you absolutely can’t stand is bound to be a trait she has.”

“No, not Aerith. She’s perfect in every way.” Even so, Zack stares contemplatively at the coffee table in front of him, as if he’s trying to figure out how to reconcile someone with bad habits to someone he loves and adores so completely.

“Nobody’s perfect.” Genesis says. “Except maybe Sephiroth. Which makes me wonder what his soul mate is like.”

Sephiroth doesn’t even dignify that with a response, even as Angeal and Zack begin speculating about the traits. Angeal puts in for an alpha Assignation, while Zack points out that alpha-omega soul mate bonds are more common. Genesis says that whoever he or she is, they’ve got to have one _hell_ of a personality to be able to last even a moment against Sephiroth. Not a delta, then, since they’re notorious for having calm, placid personalities.

“Having an omega soul mate with enough personality to level a tiny village would be righteous retribution.” Genesis decides, once they’ve hashed out the outline for this perfect person who doesn’t exist. “If only we could be so lucky.”

 

 

For the first time since he entered the ShinRa Military Academy nine months ago as SOLDIER Candidate, Cloud Strife was less concerned about finding his soul mate than he was with the upcoming SOLDIER exams. With less than three days to study and train, Cloud’s instructors were running the students hard, and as Eighth Beta that meant Cloud had plenty of work to do. There was a lot of responsibility riding on his shoulders as the success or failure of squad eight during the group examinations would be the result of his leadership ability. Leadership ability that Cloud, quite frankly, didn’t have any faith in.

It’d been a surprise when Cloud arrived in Midgar for school. The city that housed a third of the world’s population was overflowing with sights, sounds, and smells – not all of them good, but certainly different from home. During that first day at the Academy when Assertion was used to assign training squadrons, Cloud had fully expected his Rank to fall in line with his Assignation – after all, he was the pariah omega of Nibelheim. Instead Cloud had fallen into the Epsilon category. Though even that didn’t last long, as he quickly pulled ahead in class and training, his outdoorsman skills an asset against city born and bred cadets. During nearly every weekly Assertion, Cloud moved up in Rank, until he was in the top ten candidates – the only omega in their class to get that far. His instructors had told him it bodes well for his future in SOLDIER, should he get in.

Unfortunately, in the meantime Cloud had to balance studying for the academic final with managing the other three members of his squad, none of whom were happy to be serving under an omega. At this point, Cloud’s modus operandi was to Assert on them every time they were all in the same room together, just to keep the one alpha and two betas from ganging up on him and making his life harder than usual.

“Listen, Strife, dealing with assholes who care more about Assignation than Rank is kind of the name of the game.” Cloud’s materia instructor, Lieutenant Hohen, had said when Cloud mentioned his frustration in passing. An epsilon, he was a vocal advocate of the lower Assigned students in his class and quickly became Cloud’s favorite instructor. As he rose through the ranks, Hohen’s advice had been the only link to sanity Cloud had.

“You think people are going to stop trying to balk at your control when you become a SOLDIER? Back when the Wutai War started there was very public backlash against sending Commander Rhapsodos – then a Lieutenant – to the front lines. Protests in the streets, angry messages, threats from traditionalist groups to bomb ShinRa. ‘You can’t send an _omega_ to the front lines of war, especially not a soul bound omega. What did his mate think about all this?’ Never mind that Hewley famously told reporters that, despite popular conception, he didn’t _own_ Rhapsodos and the man was free to do what he wanted.”

“I’ve never heard that before.” Cloud replied. He had a million articles about the Wutai War clipped out back home, plastering the walls of his childhood bedroom. Mostly about Sephiroth, ShinRa’s Silver General, who was everything that Cloud wasn’t; strong, charismatic, and a trial-proven leader. When he was eleven, he’d found a magazine article about omegas in ShinRa, discussing their strides towards Assignation equality. In backwards Nibelheim where Assignation was more important than Rank, that had seemed downright radical to Cloud. It was unbelievable to learn that Commander Genesis Rhapsodos, an accomplished war hero who often dominated ShinRa’s propaganda, was actually a soul bound omega mated to fellow SOLDIER First Class, Angeal Hewley. It had only been a little blurb, but it changed Cloud’s world. Until then, Cloud believed he was destined to marry young to someone other than his soul mate and stay in Nibelheim until he died, having spent his whole life pretending to be someone he was not.

Cloud decided then and there that he was going to write his own story, Nibelheim’s traditions be damned. He was going to become a SOLDIER, he was going to find his soul mate, and he was going to become someone great. He would prove to the people in Nibelheim that he wasn’t a worthless omega. All this thanks to one tiny little article.

“It was an incredibly radical thing to say at the time.” Lieutenant Hohen explained. “Up until Commander Rhapsodos, only alphas and betas were allowed to train as SOLDIER Candidates. ShinRa’s always been forward thinking when it comes to Assignation, but everyone saw the commander’s entrance into the Academy as a PR stunt. There was no way an omega had what it took to be a SOLDIER.”

“But he did.” Cloud guessed.

“More than that, Rhapsodos’s Rank exceeded that of Hewley’s at the time of the examination, and all throughout their rise through SOLDIER they’ve warred for dominance, on equal Rank with each other. You young people don’t have quite the same appreciation for history but it really was unheard of for an omega to Assert over anyone, let alone their alpha mates. So when Hewley said that his mate was his own person and could make his own choices, he was saying something truly revolutionary.”

Cloud thought that Midgar had always been forward thinking, a city of progress against a world steeped in old traditions. He’d never considered how it’d gotten to a place where Rank mattered, where epsilons and omegas were allowed to Assert and join the armed forces.

Hohen said, “It’s an uphill battle, yes, but we know we can do it. You know you’re worth fighting for, Cloud. So go out there and prove to your squad that you are a capable leader, a capable SOLDIER.”

 

 

A hailstorm of bullets reverberated against the rock face a few inches from where, just moments before, Cloud’s head had been. The rain that had started up halfway through the exam – characteristic of the rock plateau along the west side of Midgar – had turned into a torrential downpour, turning the dusty canyon passes muddy and bringing visibility down to near zero. It was an unexpected complication in an already complicated exam. 

“Berado.” Cloud called to his Delta, the alpha occupying the space across the canyon, taking cover from enemy fire. “We need to break up their strangle hold on this pass if we want even a snowball’s chance of getting that flag.”

Berado scowled at him from beneath the helmet covering most of his face. “How do you expect us to do that? They’re watching the pass like hawks and there’s no good place to take them out.”

Well, if they stayed on the ground there wasn’t. The enemy team’s territory was strategically superior for a siege hold. Cloud glanced up the rock face. Slippery in the rain, but craggy enough for someone small to make it up there. Someone small and with good climbing experience. Once up, they could attempt to pick off the enemy squadrons from above, which would work only so long as they weren’t spotted. After the first shot, that cover and element of surprise would be severely compromised, but if they didn’t do this, they were already dead. The problem was who to send. Berado was a big man, all brawn and little grace, but he was also the best sniper in the group. Winston was tall but had good dexterity. Couldn’t shoot for shit, though, and in this visibility he’d be a sitting duck. Grey was out for essentially the same reasons.

Cloud knew what needed to be done, but he didn’t like the odds, not one bit. He slung his assault rifle, loaded with blanks for the exam, over his shoulder. “Berado, Grey, cover our asses and make sure no one sneaks up on us. Winston, give me a boost up. I’ll pick as many off as I can, then you three charge the bottleneck to finish them.”

They were two hours into the exam at this point, a game of capture the flag between two teams made up of five squadrons each, and with only two squads left on each side it was time to break the stalemate and press for the advantage. If that meant taking a few risks, well… nobody got far in SOLDIER by playing it safe.

The rock face was slick and it was nearly impossible to dig his fingers into the crevices to get a good hold, but years of scrambling up and down the Nibel Mountains had given Cloud strong, nimble hands. Even the rain couldn’t hold him back. The wall rose twenty feet and plateaued around the rival team’s stronghold. All eight members were camped out behind boulders, focused intently on the bottleneck. On the plus side, there was no way for them to get out of the hole they’d boxed themselves into. On the downside, Cloud would need to shoot at least four before the rest of his squad even had a hope of attempting to enter.

He dropped to the ground, ignoring the freezing cold mud that soaked through the front of his BDU, and crept forward to the edge in order to observe the canyon. The easiest four to shoot were the ones furthest from the bottleneck, the members of the elite Squadron One. Squadron Four was holding the forefront, almost directly in front of him. It was a terrible position to snip from, but he could crawl around the edge so that he was behind them. That would give him a little more of an advantage. Careful to keep quiet, and staying low pressed in the mud, Cloud moved around to position and readied his rifle.

He took his time readying his first shot, knowing that he wouldn’t get the luxury again. Once he’d loaded a fresh cartridge, he sought out Squadron Four’s Beta. Aimed, fired.

The sound echoed in the canyon as the rubber bullet hit its mark. Cloud heard the withdrawal order over the head piece in his helmet, but focused on his next target. He picked off two more members of Squad Four before Squad One finally caught on, catching sight of him behind them. He barely had enough time to fire the last shot into Squad Four’s Delta before Squad One’s Beta nailed him in the helmet and he heard the withdrawal order. Well, he knew it was a suicide anyway, but at least the confusion allowed the rest of his team to pass through the bottle neck. The firefight that followed was hectic and swift, but unfortunately did not end in Squad Four’s favor. Still, with only the Beta of Squad One left standing, they’d all but secured a victory for their team.

Cloud was still riding a euphoric high all the way back to Midgar. Not even his motion sickness could dampen the pride rushing up in him. Squadron Eight had placed third overall, directly behind Squads One and Two. The omega Squad, the one that everyone jeered at in the mess and harassed during PT, had defeated all odds and emerged in the top three teams. Their individual scores wouldn’t be released until the list of those who’d passed the exam was posted, but Cloud was pretty sure he had it in the bag. Hell, even Berado who fought and balked at Cloud at every turn even offered him a (somewhat begrudging) congratulations.

He’d done it. At this point, Cloud was positive he would make it into SOLDIER.

 

 

Three days later, the SOLDIER Candidates gathered in the auditorium for their graduation ceremony, the highlight of which was the speech that would be delivered by none other than General Sephiroth himself. Up until then, none of the Candidates had seen any member of the Elite Three, as none deigned to interact with mere Candidates, so the fact that it was Sephiroth delivering their graduation speech rather than another First Class was doubly special. They were seated by Rank and Squadron, with the Betas occupying the first row and their Deltas immediately behind them, all the way back to Omegas in the fourth row. Cloud sat stiff in his dress uniform, the lone omega among alphas and betas, and waited for the presiding party to enter.

The first part of the ceremony was relatively boring, as various instructors recounted stories from their time in the Academy, and Cloud managed a shy smile when several instructors recounted events he’d been directly involved in, including a humorous mishap with the Chocobo Mounted Division, and a more serious training mission gone awry. Finally, General Sephiroth stood, glorious in his over six feet of solid lethal SOLDIER. In person, he had far more presence than pictures could possibly convey, and the Assertive power was strong enough when he spoke that everyone in the room could feel it, vibrating in the air like a taut string.

The General surveyed the class of students, not settling on any one as he launched into a speech about the Wutai War, specifically about the SOLDIER takeover of O’rikamae, a town in southwest Wutai, and the importance of team work and comradery among all Ranks and Classes of SOLDIER. It was there, in the middle of an anecdote about the contribution of Commander Rhapsodos and his Materia Squadron, that the General’s eyes happened to land on Cloud.

Cloud had heard once that meeting your soul mate was like being struck by lightning. It seemed an apt description for the immediate rush of emotions that left him paralyzed. If he’d been standing, he’d have fallen over. As it was, he fought to keep his expression neutral, even as he admired the other man’s blue-green eyes from across the room. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him, demanding touch, a word, an action, anything to form the connection, his heart fluttering nervously in his chest. On the dais, the General was likewise experiencing that instant connection (or so Cloud hoped), but the only sign of that was that he’d stopped talking mid-sentence, staring at Cloud with a carefully blank face.

Finally, the Second Class Proctor who’d overseen the field examination broke the silence. “General?” He asked curiously, leaning over to get a good look at what the General was staring at, and frowning as if he didn’t like what he saw.

It was enough to break the spell, however. As if nothing had happened, General Sephiroth resumed his speech, carefully avoiding eye contact with Cloud for the rest of ceremony. Cloud, meanwhile, couldn’t stop himself from staring – General Sephiroth was his _soul mate_? He barely heard when the Proctor of the Field Exam delivered his closing remarks.

“Out in the hallway is a posted list of who among you has earned the honor of being called SOLDIER. You will receive your score in the barracks, along with instructions on where to report for duty tomorrow morning. For those of you who did not pass, a place in the Infantry is offered with a single rank promotion. Depending on your scores, you can either apply directly for the examination again in nine months, or for the Academy following nine months of successful Infantry service. I’d wish you all luck, but by now you’re well aware that SOLDIER is about skill. Dismissed.”

As the auditorium emptied, the Candidates heading one way to eagerly check the boards, Cloud headed in the opposite direction, hoping to catch the General. He had to know for sure. Had to speak to the man to realize if this bond was genuine.

But by the time Cloud arrived at the elevators, all the SOLDIERs and Instructors were gone, including Sephiroth. The rejection stung like salt in a wound, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. His soul mate did not want him.

 

 

“So.” Zack said the moment he was alone in the elevator with Sephiroth. “What was that all about?”

Sephiroth ignored the Second Class’s knowing tone. “Momentary forgetfulness.” He answered smoothly. True enough, he supposed, but the cause – that overwhelming feeling that had left him insensate until Zack had snapped him out of his daze – was not important. So that was the soul mate bond.

“Right.” Zack drawled. “That never happens to you, and it had to be more than that. You were staring pretty intently at that omega Beta, Strife.” He pursed his lips, thinking, and decided to take a stab in the dark. “Is he your soul mate?”

“What gave you that impression?” Sephiroth asked, still unfazed. The elevator dinged and opened up onto the SOLDIER administrative floor, where Sephiroth had his office. Zack kept pace with him as they walked through the winding halls.

“Well, it looked a hell of a lot like what happened to me when I met Aerith, for one. For another, you’re being more evasive than usual, which means you’re hiding something.”

Sephiroth apparently didn’t give Angeal’s student enough credit. Lieutenant Fair was a surprisingly perceptive individual. “Yes, I suspect that was my soul mate.”

“Dude.” Zack whistled lowly. By now they’d arrived at Sephiroth’s office, where they could at least continue the conversation privately. “Seriously? What are you doing up here? Why’d you get on the elevator? You should have waited for him, talked to him at least. He’s your _soul mate_.”

Sephiroth huffed softly, more exasperated than annoyed. “Zack, I do not _want_ a soul mate. I do not want someone who has the potential to annoy me around – I seem to attract enough of that as is. I do not want to share my life with anyone, nor do I particularly see myself as the type to engage in nonsense platitudes and terms of endearment with another person in sickeningly saccharine displays of affection.”

“Seriously?” Zack waved his arms, “You really want that to pass you by, huh? Well at the very least tell him about it! You probably broke his heart, running off like that, and since he’s going to be in SOLDIER the least he deserves is an explanation from you so he can move on with his life.”

“He’s not going to be in SOLDIER. He didn’t pass the exam.” Sephiroth said, just as the door to his office burst open, admitting Genesis who stormed in with his red coat aflutter around him, a cape of vengeance to match the look in his eyes, which promised a special kind of hell for anyone who got in his way.

“What the hell happened with Candidate Strife?” Genesis demanded. “I just saw the SOLDIER results. Why the hell didn’t Strife make the list?”

“He didn’t make the list? Seriously?” Zack said, obviously just as surprised as Genesis about the revelation. “What the hell. He was one of the best performers in the field exam – took out all of Squadron Four on his own. Apparently he’s pretty much top of the class academically too. Why’d he fail?”

Faced with two irate SOLDIERs in front of him, Sephiroth turned to his computer, searching through for the SOLDIER Candidacy Tests for one Cloud Strife. Meanwhile, he asked Genesis, “Since when have you cared about SOLDIER Candidates?”

“Since an omega made it all the way to Beta rank for the first time in five years.” Genesis replied acidly. “He was a shoe in – excellent remarks from his instructors and an obviously stellar performance during the exams.”

Sephiroth hummed lowly in acknowledgment. The results loaded on the page, and Sephiroth clicked through them. Unlike the results the Candidates would receive, these included medical evaluations alongside their academic reports. “According to his score, he had the weakest leadership skills of all the Betas. He needed to Assert over his Squad every day during the month leading up to exams.”

Genesis rolled his eyes. “He’s an _omega_ , of course he needed to Assert frequently. I do it before every team mission just to keep alpha backtalk to a minimum.”

Well aware that prejudice against the lower Assignations was present in these scores, but confident that there had to be some other reason, Sephiroth kept scrolling. Excellent scores on the written exam, a decently high personal performance score, and third place overall in the physical examinations. A stellar applicant indeed. The medical reports contained nothing unusual, no illnesses that would make SOLDIER unsuitable, at least not until Sephiroth reached the section on mako tolerance. Those were not good numbers. He showed them to Zack and Genesis.

“Seems he’s too sensitive for any of the standard mako treatments to work on him.” Sephiroth concluded. All in all, that was a terrible reason to be denied SOLDIER, but unlike what Zack had said during his speech, sometimes SOLDIER really did come down to pure luck.

“What? Oh man, that’s so not fair, and he’s your soul mate to boot.” Zack groaned.

“He’s your soul mate?!” Genesis rounded on his friend. “In that case he needs to be in SOLDIER. Just wave the medical portion and admit him based on his actual examination scores.” 

Sephiroth sighed. “It’s not that easy. The MT scores exist for a reason. With Strife’s sensitivity to mako he’d require smaller doses more often and over a longer period of time. By my estimate, approximately every three to four days for three months.” Two or three days more frequently and one month longer than the procedure of the highest allowable MT score. “And he’ll experience the side effects from those doses more severely than most SOLDIERs. He’d be virtually ineffective during the first three months after reaching each new rank.”

It was a problem, and not an insignificant one. “We can handle that.” Genesis said. “The Wutai War is ending so there’s plenty more downtime, and I’m sure we can come up with a reason for allowing a special case into SOLDIER. His excellent scores, for example, or hell let’s straight up tell the public you’ve found your soul mate.”

“Absolutely not. I do not want information of this leaving my office.” Sephiroth said, glaring at Zack for even telling Genesis in the first place. “Furthermore, during those three months Strife will need near constant monitoring, as he could begin to experience severe nausea and vomiting, and potentially audio and visual hallucinations. He could pose a threat to himself or others.”

“You’re his alpha.” Genesis said. “You could do it. Think of it as a first bonding experience.”

The idea of caring for a sick SOLDIER was even less appealing than the idea of being in a relationship with said SOLDIER. “No.”

“I’ll do it.” Zack volunteered. “I’ll take him as my student – Angeal says I’m about ready to fly the coop, so to speak. It’ll make sense for me to mentor a special case SOLDIER. Besides, he really is downright impressive, Sephiroth. I think he’s worth three months of crazy.”

This was not an argument Sephiroth was likely to win. “All right. I’ll speak with Director Lazard while one of you fetches Candidate Strife. I’ll lay the terms before Strife and, if he agrees, we will push forward on one condition.”

“What?” Genesis asked eagerly, obviously pleased to be getting a new omega SOLDIER.

“One of you has to come up with a good reason for allowing him in despite his MT score. One that will pass the muster of public scrutiny.”

A slow smile spread across Genesis’s face, like a cat after a successful hunt. It seemed they were going to be shaking up ShinRa yet again. Poor Strife was about to become relatively famous. Genesis couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are love to the author and inspiration to get my butt going on these fics. Want more Lockea? Check out my [personal tumblr](http://lockea.tumblr.com) for reblogs, cats, fandom, and feminist stuff. Check out my [writing tumblr](http://storytellerlockea.tumblr.com) for more stories, tidbits, meta, and my askbox. 
> 
> I will also be at Sakuracon in Seattle, WA! I will hopefully be running the fanfiction panel and assisting on the Story Story Die panel. I'd love to meet up with fellow Final Fantasy Fans. If you can't make that, I will also be at Metrocon in July in Tampa, FL.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finds out he didn't make SOLDIER.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU EVERYONE! I am so thrilled with the overwhelming response this story has generated and I only hope I don't disappoint. This is by far the biggest response any of my works has received in the Final Fantasy VII fandom and that tells me that the idea I thought was too strange to post is actually something ya'll want to see more of.
> 
> Chapter three is still in the process and may take me a while to update so don't get used to speedy updates, but the good news is that in the meantime I have finished the next chapter of How Bright the Stars.
> 
> Real Life Update: Good news everyone! I'm defending my thesis either in late March or early April. Once that happens I'll have more time to write but maybe not because I'll be moving in May (hopefully not back in with my parents, but we'll see). Either way, once June comes I should be settled down and able to get back on a writing schedule. Thanks so much for all your support and well wishes -- it means a lot to me.

His name wasn’t on the list. He checked it twice, reading through all nineteen names with a growing sense of disbelief. It had to be some sort of mistake. He was so _sure_. So positive that he’d nailed the test. Where did he fail? He’d stayed consistently in the top percentage of his class academically, and even though he was weak with the staff and sword, his tactics were top tier. The field exam proved it. So how did this happen?

Cloud knew the detailed results of his test were waiting for him in his room in the barracks. Knowing this simple sheet of paper had no answers for him, and praying it was somehow a typo, that maybe whoever typed the list simply forgot a name, he practically flew across the Military Academy compound to the barracks, taking the steps two at a time to his floor and arriving out of breath at his front door, not caring that his dress uniform was askew. Pinned to the door was a sealed brown paper packet bearing his last name.

He slammed the door shut behind him, flipping the lock even though it was a moot point. Being the Beta had its perks. Cloud shared the hall with the other nine Betas in his class, and each of them had a room to themselves. Even though the barracks were currently noisy as the other Candidates packed out and either prepared to celebrate or decided where to go next, Cloud had a feeling he’d be left undisturbed for at least a few hours. He tore the seal of the envelope and pulled out his tests. Across the top of the first sheet, next to his name, the word FAIL was stamped in red ink.

Cloud slumped down on the edge of his standard issue cot, feeling the springs dig into his legs through the thin mattress. There it was; the truth about his abilities (or lack thereof) spelled out in crystalline detail. He skimmed the results but only read the conclusion.

“Though Strife shows great promise in martial, magic, and tactical based arenas, his low self-confidence and lack of proven leadership ability have negatively impacted his performance. The SOLDIER Evaluation Board has made the decision to not present Candidate Strife forward for SOLDIER Third Class at this time. It is our recommendation that he reenter the Academy in nine months if he wishes to be reevaluated.”

Below that, with a graceful flourish, was General Sephiroth’s signature. This paper which spoke so succinctly to his failings had been signed by his own soul mate, as if to add insult to injury. If he wanted to try again, he’d have to go through the Academy all over again. Sure, at sixteen Cloud was one of the younger students in the Academy and nobody would blink twice if he tried again (plenty younger candidates did), but that was still another eighteen months of waiting. First he’d have to complete nine months in the Infantry – a branch of ShinRa’s military not generally known for high survival rates – and then another nine months of training. Which meant he’d have to go through the Rank hierarchies again, sit through the same classes, and deal with the same Assignation prejudice bullshit he’d already had to put up with once.

And what, if after all that, he failed again?

Cloud sighed and buried his face in his hands. He would _not_ cry. He had grown out of crying already, dammit! Goddess, his mom was right. He never should have run away. What did he think would happen in Midgar? That’d he’d breeze his way through the Candidacy like Commander Rhapsodos and be welcomed into SOLDIER with open arms? That he’d meet a nice man with a friendly smile (a beta, or a delta, he’d always hoped) who would turn out to be his soul mate? That they’d have a nice, quiet life in between Cloud gallivanting off to be a hero? The worst part was that he couldn’t even go back to Nibelheim like this. Couldn’t bear to face Tifa and his mom after failing them.

Sure, Tifa had promised to marry him if he never found his soul mate, promised to be his alpha if he needed her, but she’d always wanted him to become a SOLDIER. She wanted a person who could come protect her when she could not protect herself. It’d been such a strange promise to make. A strange promise to a strange alpha from a strange omega. They’d always known they didn’t belong in Nibelheim, but Tifa hadn’t been ready to leave home yet, so Cloud promised he’d come back as soon as he made SOLDIER.

Cloud didn’t want to break that promise, and he didn’t come all the way here just to give up when he hit a road block. So what if his soul mate was someone so far out of reach it was nearly impossible to be together? It wasn’t the end (even though it felt like it), and he’d gone through the Academy once and survived. He could do it again. “Come on, you didn’t run away from home just to go crawling back defeated.” He told himself. “So get up, get it together, and start over. You _will_ succeed next time.”

Decision made, and at least a little bit of the infamous Strife stubbornness returned to him, Cloud set his scores aside and quickly changed from his dress uniform into the uniform of the day. He wanted to inform the Infantry AO of his decision today before his self-doubt set back in and he talked himself out of it. The hallway outside his room was still noisy as the other Betas packed out and chatted loudly with each other, discussing assignments and mako schedules. Only Cloud and the Beta of Squad Ten hadn’t made SOLDIER during this go around. Cloud did his best to ignore them as he made his way back down the hall to the stairs.

It worked, until the Beta of Squad One, Michaels, stepped in front of him. “Hey, where you going, omega?” Michaels asked conversationally, an air of false causality hanging around him, even as the other Betas quieted to watch the encounter. The Beta of Squad Four, Richardson, stepped behind Cloud, effectively cutting off his escape route.

“None of your business.” Cloud snapped, making to shove past Michaels, who grabbed him around the shoulder.

“None of my business.” Michaels repeated, smile turning cold and cruel. “You hear that boys? The omega still thinks he can talk back to us. You know Strife, you’ve always been real uppity, acting like your Rank made you something special. Sure, you managed to make it to Beta. Big whoopdi-frickin-do. But now you’ve gotten above yourself. You didn’t even make SOLDIER.”

Cloud froze. Of course they’d have noticed. Everyone had been watching Cloud these last few weeks. The omega Beta. His name not being on the list was sure to attract attention.

“I think he needs to be taught a lesson.” Richardson suggested, crossing his arms. “He needs to learn his place.”

Michaels laughed, an ugly sound, as he was joined in by the other Betas. “Well, who better to teach him? Kneel, Strife.”

The weight of the Assertion washed over Cloud, formidable but not impossible to fight off. Struggling against the desire to obey and submit completely before the stronger man, Cloud grit his teeth even as he slowly sank to his knees. He managed to keep his head up, eyes locked with Michaels in silent challenge, the fight against himself draining his strength. If Michaels Asserted again, Cloud would be forced under into the haze of submission.

“See, now this is where omegas belong.” Michaels told his audience as he buried one hand in Cloud’s spikey blond hair, forcibly shoving his head down towards the ground. Cloud growled at him but couldn’t move to resist. “On their knees before alphas and betas, serving in their rightful role.” He leaned down and in Cloud’s ear whispered, “I’m going to make you beg for mercy.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Cloud grit out stubbornly. This battle was already lost, but Cloud refused to go down without a fight. He refused to give them the satisfaction of acting like an omega.

Next thing Cloud knew Michaels’ fist connected with his gut, forcing all the air from his lungs as Cloud doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. A kick connected with his side, forcing Cloud to the ground. Still unable to breathe he curled up into a tight ball to defend against the rain of blows. Still under the effects of Michaels’ Assertion, Cloud had no hope of defending himself. He could only pray this would be over quickly. It wasn’t the first time an alpha or a beta decided he needed a beating, and Cloud was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

“What is going on here?” A new voice demanded, one Cloud didn’t recognize so it couldn’t be an instructor. Cloud didn’t dare open his eyes to check, even as Michaels stilled above him. “Never mind. Those of you standing, kneel.”

Spared from the Assertion, Cloud finally dared open his eyes. Michaels and the other Betas were on their knees, head bowed. They were completely under; hadn’t stood a chance against the First Class SOLDIER that stood in the stairwell entry-way. Red hair, red jacket. There was no mistaking Commander Genesis Rhapsodos, even though Cloud had never seen him in person. What the hell was a First Class doing in the Academy barracks?

“The ShinRa Military Academy, and by extension SOLDIER, does not condone bullying or hazing under any circumstance.” Commander Rhapsodos said, contempt dripping off of every word. “Who among you has been promoted to SOLDIER? All of you? Well, congratulations you have all received your first demerit. I’ll leave your punishment up to your new Alphas to decide. You should thank me for that, as whatever your Alphas do is sure to be far kinder than the punishment I want to give you.”

  
Was he really an omega? Cloud wondered idly. He’d never seen an omega so intimidating before, so absolutely in control. He smelled like an omega though, and there was nothing you could do to hide the smell of Assignation from others. 

“I want you all to listen to me.” The Commander ordered, the weight of an Assertion driving his voice. “You will never, ever under any circumstance use Assertion to bully a person of a lower Rank than you ever again. Is that clear?” In the silence that followed he repeated, “I said, is. That. Clear?”

“Sir, yes sir.” Eight voices barked back, military disciplined and sharp.

“Good. Now get out of my sight. Except for you, Strife. General Sephiroth wants you in his office.” 

The Assertion lifted, the other Betas made short work of making themselves scarce, leaving Cloud alone in the hall with the SOLDIER First Class, who waited patiently while Cloud attempted to straighten his uniform. At least Michaels hadn’t drawn blood, but Cloud’s cheek still felt tender, as did his abdomen and side. He was likely to have some impressive bruises tomorrow morning.

Commander Rhapsodos looked him over once before nodding and turning on his heels. Cloud moved quickly to keep up with the taller man’s strides as they passed through the barracks, which had been struck silent with awe at the presence of a First Class. That it was one of the SOLDIER Trinity only made it that much more astonishing to the other students. The Commander barely paid any attention to his audience, as if he was used to being gawked at by people.

_Well_ , Cloud thought, _of course he is. He’s a SOLDIER First Class_. He followed the man silently back to the main tower, keeping his silence until they were alone in the elevator as the Commander swiped his keycard for access to the SOLDIER floors. That was when curiosity finally got the best of him. “Um, sir? Is this about what happened in the auditorium today? The soul mate thing?”

The Commander glanced at him sideways from beneath the fringe of hair. “No, actually. Who have you told about what happened today?” He didn’t sound upset with Cloud, merely curious.

“No one, sir. Who would believe me if I did?” He tried not to sound bitter, but he was a little hurt still.

“Good.” Rhapsodos said, “The General wishes to keep this private. For both your sakes, please don’t share this information with anyone. Currently only myself, Commander Hewley, and Lieutenant Fair are aware of your connection to Sephiroth.” He spoke gently, voice kind. It was such a difference from the sharp tongued demon that had terrorized Cloud’s bullies into submission that Cloud almost wondered if he was talking to a different man. Commander Rhapsodos’s temper was legendary, as was his acidic wit. The man before him, by contrast, was relaxed and open. Cloud hesitated to say accommodating (that was such an omega word), but it was apt in this case.

“Oh.” He tried to hide his disappointment in his voice. This rejection was no kinder coming from Commander Rhapsodos.

“The goddess works in mysterious ways,” The Commander said, “’There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess.’”

Cloud managed a smile small, recognizing the line. “That’s from _Loveless_ , isn’t it, sir?”

“Ah, so you are familiar with it?”

Cloud nodded. “I read it once, last year. I want to go see the play once it opens again.”

“Trite rubbish based on flawed interpretations, but watchable at least.” The First Class waved his hand dismissively. “The Orihalcum Traveling Theater’s interpretation is much better, if somewhat esoteric for beginners to the study of the mysteries of _Loveless_. But I digress. You are young yet, Strife, so do not let Sephiroth’s inability to function like a normal human effect you too much. All things happen by the goddess’s will.”

“Thank you, sir.” Cloud replied. He did feel a bit better, though he had no idea what to make of Commander Rhapsodos. Thrown off balance by unexpected kindness, Cloud kept silent as the elevator opened onto the SOLDIER administrative floor. Suddenly the open, friendly man was gone, replaced by the SOLDIER who strolled through the floor like he owned it and everyone on it, steps purposeful and head held high.

They rounded one corner towards the back of the floor and were met by a black haired SOLDIER just outside a closed and dark office, who was in the middle of a rep of squats when Commander Rhapsodos raised an eyebrow at him and said, “Zack, where’s everyone else?”

The SOLDIER, who Cloud recognized as the proctor for the field exam, Second Class Zack Fair, stopped what he was doing and turned to face them. “Still in Lazard’s office. Angeal and Sephiroth are getting the details sorted out before they talk to Strife.”

“Details?” Rhapsodos asked, voicing the question Cloud didn’t dare.

“Yeah. You know Sephiroth – wants all the forms signed, all I’s dotted and T’s crossed. I guess he wants everything in place before he asks Strife to sign anything.”

“What does the General want me to sign?” Cloud asked, feeling dread rise up in his chest. Was it related to the soul mate thing? A nondisclosure agreement? A severance? This day was turning into such a nightmare already that he had a hard time fathoming how it could possibly get any worse.

But Zack just grinned at Cloud and clapped his hand over Cloud’s shoulder. To Genesis he asked, “Should we tell him?”

“And spoil the surprise? Absolutely.” The First Class replied. “Let’s take this conversation to my office first. It’s no one else’s business.”

 Confusion growing, Cloud followed the SOLDIERs into another office just down the hall. Though small, it was washed in loud colors – Red and white walls with black furniture. Theatrical posters from previous showings of Loveless hung on the walls next to plaques conferring various war honors and commendations for battles fought. The wall behind the desk was nothing but windows that overlooked the gray skyline of Midgar’s upper plate. Commander Rhapsodos gestured for Cloud and Zack to take the seats in front of the desk, while Genesis took his usual seat behind the desk.

“So, Strife. How much do you want to be in SOLDIER?” Rhapsodos asked.

“More than anything.” Cloud answered honestly. “It’s been my dream for the last three years.” A dream he _was_ going to achieve, even if he had to go through the Academy all three times to achieve it.

“Even if being a SOLDIER meant going through an incredibly painful procedure?” Zack asked. “Something way worse than what most SOLDIERs go through?”

“Sir? What do you mean?” A painful procedure? Didn’t SOLDIERs just get mako shots?

“You didn’t fail the SOLDIER exam because of your performance in the Academy.” Zack said. “You failed because your mako tolerance score is too high. It’s very rare for someone to have an MT score outside the normal range, so it only gets tested for right before the exams begin.”

Rhapsodos added, “Your MT score determines your ability to metabolize mako, and how quickly mako binds itself to your red blood cells. Metabolize too quickly and you run the risk of flooding your system and going into shock, entering into Stage One Mako Sickness. Metabolize too slowly and the mako simply sits in your blood stream, eventually crystalizing, and causing Acute Mako Crystallus.”

“Essentially you start growing materia in vital organs, like your lungs or your heart.” Zack explained in layman’s terms. “It’s a sucky disease.”

“There’s no known work around for someone with an MT score that’s too low, but thankfully there is one for a high MT score.”

“So you’re saying that I can’t be in SOLDIER because I’d just get mako poisoning, but that there’s another way? Only the other way is painful?” Cloud asked, frowning. On one hand, it was awful to know he’d been failed for something he couldn’t control and then lied to about it – why hadn’t his test scores mentioned a single thing about an MT score? On the other, at least he wasn’t a failure for the reasons he’d thought he was.

“To be fair, mako shots are painful no matter what.” Zack laughed. “But yeah, to hear Sephiroth explain it, you’re in for a few miserable months if you say yes and agree to become a SOLDIER.”

“You want me in SOLDIER?” Cloud gaped at the two men, “ _General Sephiroth_ wants me in SOLDIER?”

“Cloud Strife, you are the first omega in five years to make it to Beta Rank while at the Academy. You consistently outperformed your classmates in survival, tactics, and magic, as well as maintained a high class ranking academically. During your field exam, you single handedly took down an entire squadron, guaranteeing that your team would win the mock war. We’d be foolish to lose someone with your potential.” Commander Rhapsodos explained evenly. “You should be flattered. You’ll officially be the first SOLDIER admitted on a medical exemption.”

It was exactly what Cloud had dreamed of. He so very much wanted to say yes – yes he’d become a SOLDIER no matter how painful it was, how much he had to endure – but he hesitated. Was it cheating to take the medical exemption? Cloud could no more control his mako tolerance than he could choose what Assignation to be born with. He’d earned this, right? He’d worked his ass off in training and proven he could succeed in SOLDIER. There was still that small voice though, whispering in the back of his mind about how much he didn’t deserve this. He was an imposter getting too far in over his head, and eventually everyone would see just how much of a failure he really was.

He didn’t get a chance to reply, because the door to the office clicked open and Commander Angeal Hewley strode in. The alpha took one look around the office, eyes brushing over Zack and Cloud with a frown. “Sephiroth’s back in his office. Zack, take Strife. I need to have a word with Genesis alone.”

Knowing better than to say anything, Zack ushered Cloud out of Genesis’ office, closing the door behind them. The thick walls were not enough to completely drown out Angeal’s deep, booming voice. Cloud startled and froze, an instinctive reaction to raised voices that he’d picked up as a child. He’d pretty much gotten rid of the reaction during training, but sometimes when he was caught by surprise the startle came back. Zack paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Something the matter, kid?” He asked, noticing that Cloud was staring back at the closed doors.

“Nothing.” Cloud replied distantly. “Do the Commanders fight a lot?”

Ah. “Not very often. I wouldn’t worry about Genesis if I were you. He won’t thank you for it and he can fight his own battles.”

“Sorry. It’s just that alphas yelling at omegas never seems to end well in my experience.” Cloud said, ducking his head down as he pushed past Zack.

Zack caught him around the shoulders in a friendly half hug. “Well,” He told Cloud lightly, “Welcome to SOLDIER, where you’re free to yell right back if you so choose. Unless it’s to your mentor or your unit Alpha, in which case you should plot revenge silently and discretely.” He paused, considered what he’d just said, and added. “Actually, just your unit Alpha. Since I’m your mentor, I’d rather not wake up to whatever evil plan I know you’ve got lurking in that spikey head of yours.”

Despite himself, Cloud laughed, which was exactly the reaction Zack intended. He shoved Cloud playfully towards the door to Sephiroth’s office. “All right, in you go before General Crankypants comes and hunts us down.”

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Angeal asked as soon the door closed behind Zack and the soon to be Third Class.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Genesis replied, unfazed by the low tone of his lover’s voice. Angeal was slow to anger, but when he did it was like an earthquake– tremors, quake, and aftershocks. “I’m making sure Sephiroth doesn’t make a mistake.”

“So this is about love, not politics?” He sounded suspicious, as he pushed past, looming over Genesis. As if physical presence could intimidate him. “Because it sure as hell looks like you’re tossing protocols out the window left and right to get what _you_ want.”

Genesis rose out of his chair, not caring that he was several inches shorter than Angeal and considerably smaller than the alpha. “Why can’t it be about both?” He asked. “First, you know as well as I do that if Zack and I had let Strife walk out of ShinRa, Sephiroth would never see him again. Second, I’m just making sure Lazard upholds his damn promise.”

“He _is_ upholding his promise.” Angeal growled. Goddess! Why did his soul mate frustrate him so much? Not even Zack on his worst, most hyper-active and inattentive days could make him as angry as Genesis did simply by being Genesis. “Owain Garamond, the Delta of Squad Three that passed the exam? Omega. Lazard is _trying_ to make sure SOLDIER becomes more diverse but he can’t do that with you undermining him every step of the way.”

“Undermining?” Genesis snarled. “You know there’s a correlation between Assignation and mako tolerance and it’s used to make it just that much harder for lower Assignated Candidates to pass the test.”

“For a reason! Strife’s virtually useless for the next three months and you’ve knocked Zack out with him. Is that the kind of standard we should hold SOLDIER to? Should we raise the mako tolerance threshold? Open ourselves up for cases of mako poisoning? ShinRa’s good, but even they won’t be able to manage that PR disaster.”

“Not for everyone!” Genesis protested. “That’s why the medical exemption exists. Lazard and Sephiroth are allowed to enter Candidates they believe are worth the extra investment. Look it up if you don’t believe me. I do know what I’m doing.”

“Do you, Genesis? Because from where I’m standing it looks a hell of a lot like a temper tantrum to get your own way. You know as well as I do that Sephiroth and Lazard would not have admitted Strife unless you and Zack hadn’t ganged up on Sephiroth.”

“True, but you know Sephiroth would never have let himself be convinced if there wasn’t already a small part of him that saw Strife’s potential. And even if it was just the soul mate bond exerting that tiny influence, so what? But for you to stand here and accuse me of throwing a temper tantrum – that’s low, and I’m disappointed in you.” Genesis shoved past his soul mate, heading for the door.

Angeal stopped him with a hand around his wrist. “Gen. Don’t be angry.”

Genesis scowled at him and yanked his wrist free. With a disappointed sigh he said, “After ten years of being bound I keep hoping sooner or later you’ll realize that you don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot feel.”

This time when Genesis made to leave Angeal did not try to stop him.

 

The second time Cloud laid eyes on his soul mate was just as electric as the first. He should have been nervous stepping into General Sephiroth’s office, but instead he felt… not calm or assured, but something almost akin to that. Unlike the Commander’s office, which had felt warm and alive, Sephiroth’s was blank and sterile, white walls stark against black furniture. There were no awards or placards on the wall, no personal touches that showed someone inhabited this space for eight to twelve hours most days of the week. It felt, to Cloud, a little sad, though he wasn’t sure why he cared.

“Have a seat, Strife.” The General ordered without looking up from what he was doing on the computer.

Cloud sat and waited patiently for him to finish. Up close, it was easy to see just how young the General was. Early twenties or so, according to bios Cloud had read in magazines. His eyelashes were so translucent as to be invisible from far away, and his eyes weren’t green like the photographs made them seem, but rather a blue-gray color with twisted green threads. The silver hair that had given him his nickname was pulled over one shoulder, which seemed like a strange thing to do until Cloud remembered just how long it was – at least four feet if not longer. Pulling it over his shoulder probably helped keep him from accidentally sitting on it.

“You’re staring.” Sephiroth said idly, glancing over from the computer screen briefly.

Cloud ducked his head. “Sorry, sir.”

“Don’t apologize. If you have something to say, say it.”

“Sir… are you really going to let me join SOLDIER?” Cloud asked, trying to reconcile everything that had happened since Commander Rhapsodos had so unexpectedly shown up in the barracks.

Sephiroth didn’t reply. Silently, he reached over and pulled a manila folder from a pile of them on the corner of his desk. Setting the folder in front of Cloud, he flipped it open to the first document. “Read all the documents very carefully before you sign the first page. You’ll have no one to blame but yourself if you don’t.”

Ominous warning aside, Cloud picked up the first document. It wasn’t too long – just a few pages really – and it looked like the SOLDIER consent forms he’d filled out upon entrance to the Academy. Mandatory 20 year contract with SOLDIER if admitted, with a partial retirement based on rank after his service was complete. In the event of death before retirement, ShinRa would pay a condolence sum to his family to cover unexpected expenses. Etc. Standard ShinRa military employee fare, really.

The next document was SOLDIER specific. His orders, he realized. An immediate promotion to Ensign, the lowest pay grade in SOLDIER. He was to be assigned directly to Second Class Zack Fair as his student. Fair would be his commanding officer for his first two years in SOLDIER, at which time Cloud could start applying for Second Class. Cloud knew from Academy rumor that being assigned one-on-one to a SOLDIER was rare, an honor usually reserved for SOLDIERs who were being fast-tracked into leadership positions. Since Fair was Commander Hewley’s student, Cloud would indirectly fall under Hewley’s corps.

Each of the three corps of SOLDIER had different strengths. Hewley’s corps were weapons specialists, excelling in direct combat. Rhapsodos lead the materia corps, who offered support and back up. Those under Sephiroth were less specialized, generally more versatile and capable in both support and combat positions. Of the three, Cloud had least expected to be assigned to the weapons corps.

The last document was his enhancement schedule. Beginning on his first day in SOLDIER, he would be required to submit to the laboratory every three days for 10 mg of mako – a micro dose, compared to the standard 30 mg – for fourteen weeks. The smaller doses would keep him from metabolizing too much mako too quickly, but the frequency would ensure that he was getting the max benefit during the course of the enhancement procedure. Below the schedule was a list of expected side effects following every dosing – headache, vertigo, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain and weakness, fatigue, insomnia. The list went on and on, none of it sounding particularly pleasant. Most ominous of all, however, were the warnings for seizures, paranoia, and audio and visual hallucinations. And Cloud would have to put up with that every three days for three and a half months.

“What happens if I don’t sign this?” Cloud asked. He was already relatively sure he was going to sign it – it was only three months and then he’d be both seventeen and a SOLDIER Third Class, with all the honors and strength it conferred.

“You are more than welcome to decline. Since SOLDIER is asking more of you than your original contract upon entrance to the Academy agreed upon, you have a right to decline admission. The Infantry will still take you, perhaps gladly so. Or if you’d prefer it, the Turks are always recruiting from all Assignations, especially talented epsilons and omegas. You are also free to leave ShinRa entirely, if you so choose.” Sephiroth told him. There wasn’t a single change to his bland, slightly bored expression, as if it was no skin off his nose if Cloud didn’t join SOLDIER.

Cloud frowned. “So… you’re not willing to give us a try?” He asked somewhat desperately. There’d been no real, concrete indication that Sephiroth was rejecting the soul mate bond, just indirect condolences and hints here and there. His apparent coldness was a pretty strong indicator, but Cloud didn’t just want indications – he wanted the words. A yes or a no.

“Strife.” Sephiroth began, staring straight at Cloud with intense green eyes. That did not bode well. “It is precisely because I am willing to give you a try that there is even an offer on the table. But if you are asking me about the bond – no. It is not you, specifically. I have no desire to be in a relationship with anyone, but it would be irresponsible of me to leave any ambiguities regarding my stance. I do hope this does not affect your decision to join SOLDIER. You are being offered this medical exemption on your own merits – not because of some alleged tie to me.”

Cloud nodded miserably, trying not to let disappointment show on his face. There it was – solid as a concrete wall. His soul mate really didn’t want him. He knew though, that even though it would mean being all that much closer to a person he couldn’t have, SOLDIER was his dream, and Cloud wouldn’t give that up. He signed the contract and handed it back to the General.

Sephiroth looked it over and nodded. “Good. Welcome to SOLDIER, Ensign Strife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points to anyone who can tell me where Owain Garamund comes from. (Hint: Another Final Fantasy) 
> 
> I also use Navy rankings in this story because I know them all better, whereas I practically have to live with the Army rankings chart open all the time. Sorry if that throws some people off. I basically make it all up as I go anyway. :P
> 
> Want more Lockea? Check me out on tumblr!  
> [Writing tumblr](http://storytellerlockea.tumblr.com) \-- Meta, early updates, my askbox, come chat with me, I love to talk to people (you're really not bothering me)  
> [Personal tumblr](http://lockea.tumblr.com) \-- Reblogs, fangirling, and real life updates


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